Hand grenade



May 18, 1937. T. A. OLEARY HAND GRENADE 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Aug. 19, 1936 /N V5 N T R 7210mm: A 0L 54:02 Y

TTOQNEK May 18, 1937. T. A. O'LEARY HAND GRENADE Filed Aug. 19, 1936 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 ll/Il ll/ lu d, sly

1N VE/V TOE /4/70' 17. OZ. E012 Y HTTO/ENEK Patented May l8, 19 37 HAND GRENADE ThomasA. OLeary, Pittsburgh, Pa. Application August 19, 1936, Serial No. 96,728

4 Claims.

The invention relates to hand grenades, and has for its primary objects the provision of a grenade which is so shaped that for a given weight it can be thrown much fartherand with greater accuracy than the forms of grenades now in use; the provision of a grenade which, during .its flight and after alighting, has a spinning movement aiding it in attaining greater distance and rendering it very difiicult to pick up and return; and in' general the provision of a grenade of simple, relatively cheap construction which shall be highly effective in the service for which it is designed. V

In carrying out the invention, the container is 15 made of general discus shape, so that it can be thrown edgewise in somewhat horizontal plane with a spinning movement. An. object of this shape, skillfully thrown can be propelled a much greater distance than an object of the same weight of the cylindrical orspherical form in .which grenades have heretofore been commonly made. However, a grenade of discus'shape does require a considerable degree of skill to propel accurately to any distance by the method followed in athletic competition, and in order to make a device of this shape practical for a grenade, I have found it necessary to overcome this difiiculty. This has been accomplished in the device hereinafterdescribed, by the provision of a finger or hand grip in the form of a pair of pins projecting .from the sides of the discus shaped container or casing adjacent its periphery. By the use of this expedient, the distance which the average man can throw the device, is more than doubled and the degree of accuracy as to direction is much improved. The finger grip is further sorpositionedrwith respect to the hammer which fires the detonator or cap that when such grip is engaged by the fingers of the operator to throw the device, the thumb of the throwing hand engages the-hammer and holds it in cocked position. This leaves the other hand free to withdraw the hammer retaining pin, after which the act of throwing releases the hammer causing it starts its flight. One embodiment of the invention'is illustrated in the accompanying drawings,

wherein: a

Figure 1 is a side elevation. Fig. 2 is an edge I Referring to the drawingai and I are plate the ignition of the charge in the container as of relatively thin section 01' a structural material, metallic or non-metallic (such as aluminum or fiber), of dish shape secured together; at their edges and forming theshell or casing. Theplates may-be attached together at their edges in any suitable manner, but as shown, this is accomplished by threading, the plate 6 having a rela-' tively heavy rim 8 internally threaded to receive the annular threaded-rib 9 (Fig. 4). This shell or casing has preferably the approximate dimen- 10 'sions of the discus used 'in sport competition,

namely, a diameter of about 8 inches and a thickness at the center of about one and a half inches, but this may be varied, depending on the throwing range desired and the weight of charge 15 desired. When made according to the dimen sions above given, the shell has a charge capacity somewhat in excess of the standard hand grenade of cylindrical form and a loaded weight of less than four and one half pounds, which approximates that of the sport discus. The charge commonly employed is a pressed cake ill of tear gas producing material which forms asnug fit in the casing. The material may be any one of a number known in the art, which, upon subjection to suflicient heat, evolves an irritating or poisonous gas or smoke, or a combination of both when ignition is started by a cap or detonator in a manner commonly known in the art. ,The separation of the plates 6 and I of the casing permits the ready insertion of the 30 cake which may be :pre-molded or molded in either or both plates 6 and 1.

Located in a recess I l in the rim 8 of the casing is the firing hammer l2, such hammer being pivoted at l3 and lying in the recess when in 35 cocked position, as indicated in Fig. 3. A spring ll tends to swing the hammer around its pivot, so that the pin l5will strike the cap or detonator "i, but this is prevented by the use of a retaining pin I'I extending transversely through the rim of the-casing and through or above the hammer, such pin carrying at its end a ring l8 to receive the finger of the thrower and facilitate the ready withdrawal of the pin preliminary to Located to the right of the hammer (Fig. 1) is the finger grip, heretofore referred to as functioning to permit the thrower to get greater distance and better direction in throwing the device, such finger grip preferably comprising a pair of pins l9, l9 constituting extensions of a rod extending through the casing adjacent the periphery. The

pins'are provided with rotatable sleeves I911, held against removal by the nuts I 8b. In gripping these pins, the rim of the casing lies between any two fingers of the throwing hand with those fingers hooked around the pins and with the palm of the hand facing the left (Fig.' 1). With the hand in this position, the thumb can be conveniently pressed against the hammer. hammer is thus held in cocked position during the Withdrawal of the retaining pin i1 and until the device leaves the hand of the thrower. The throwing action involves only the actions commonly known as under-hand, over-hand; or sidearm throwing, pitching or hurling. A novice can I.

throw the device with a fair degree of accuracy and to a much greater distance than it would be possible for him to throw a standard discus of the same weight even after much practice. Further, the device when thrown in the manner above described, as side arm, will sail edgewise, instead of wobbling and turning sidewise, as is usually the case with the standard discus if thrown by a novice. The rotatable sleeves l9a reduce the friction on the fingers at the moment of release. It will be understood that the expedient for getting distance and direction, as just described, would be equally useful in hand grenades of a type other than those using gas and smoke, as distance and direction are desirable in the hurling of grenades of the explosive type which are fired by the impact of alighting, or with which a time fuse is em ployed.

The casing is provided around its periphery with perforations for the discharge of the gases and smoke generated by the combustion of the body l0. These perforations are inclined with respect to the radii of the casing, so that the discharge of the gases of combustion tends to give the disc a movement of rotation about its axis A. This tends to maintain the casing in a horizontal plane during its flight, assists in overcoming atmospheric resistance and keeps it spinning after it aiights, rendering it difiicult for any one to pick up the device while it is functioning. The rod comprising the pins 19 is preferably made of readily fusible metal which melts in the center upon application of the hot gas, thus reducing the possibility of the device being thrown back. The pivot 13 is of readily fusible metal. A gas port is located' under or nearly under this pin. The

hot gas will melt the pin with resultant removal of hammer, so that this part may not be used by anyone attempting to throw the grenade after it has left the original thrower. Other material readily destructible by heat may be substituted for fusible metal.

It will be understood that the particular device shown and described is capable of considerable modification without departure from the invention embodied therein. Obviously, the shape of the shell is subject to change, but as long as it is of disc shape with a diameter greatly in excess of its thickness so that it can be thrown through the air edgewise like a discus, it will come within the intended scope of the invention, the term The discus like shapebeing designed to cover variation of contour of this character. The detonator and firing hammer are placed in the periphery of the casing, but this is not essential, the only requirement being that the hammer be so locat- .ed that some part of the hand of the thrower in gripping the device shall be able to hold the hammer (by direct engagement therewith or otherwise) in cocked position. It will be further un-- derstood that the perforations for the escape of gas, while shown and described as being located at the extreme edge of the shell, may belocated around the outer portion of the casing at other points less remote from the center, and that the term periphery is intended to be restrictive merely to the outer zone of the casing.

What I claim is:

1. A hand grenade comprising a hollow shell of discus like shape having a detonating element mounted therein,-,a firing member also mounted g in the shell adapted, when released, to strike the detonating element, and arranged so, that in cocked position it can be held in that position by the throwing hand of the thrower, and a finger or hand grip for the thrower comprising a pair of members in opposition adjacent the periphery of the shell projecting laterally from the side walls thereof and having a location relative to the firing member such that when the fingers of one hand of the thrower grip said members, they thumb of the hand may engage the firing member and hold it in cocked position until the device is released by the thrower. 1

2. A hand grenade comprising a hollow shell of discus like shape having a detonating element mounted therein, a spring operated hammer also mounted in the edge portion of the shell adapted,

when released, to strike the detonating element,

and a finger or hand grip for the thrower comprising a pair of members in opposition adjacent the periphery of the shell projecting laterally from the side walls thereof, and having a location relative to the hammer such that when the fingers of one hand of the thrower grip said members the thumb of the hand may engage the hammer and hold it in cocked position until the device is thrown, the periphery of the shell being provided with inclined perforations for the escape of the gas generated in the shell so that the escape of the gas tends to give the shell a spinning movement about its axis during and after its flight.

3. A hand grenade comprising a hollow shell of disc shape, a combustible charge in the shell, and a finger grip comprisinga rod which is' of a material fusible under the temperature developed by the combustion of the charge extending transversely through the shell adjacent its periphery so that the two ends of the rod lie outside the shell for engagement by the fingers of the thrower.

4. A hand grenade comprising a hollow shell I of disc. shape, a combustible charge in the shell,

and a finger grip for the thrower comprising a member projecting laterally from the side wall of the shell adjacent its periphery, said member having its inner portion of a material fusible under the temperature developed by-"the combustion of the charge by heat and arranged so as to be exposed to the hot gases generated by the combustion of the charge witlrwhich the shell is loaded.

THOMAS A. OLEARY. 

